


The shallows

by dab



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Human!Kili, M/M, Mer!Fíli, Unrelated Fíli and Kíli, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:00:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27067540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dab/pseuds/dab
Summary: Kíli was the first Human Fíli had ever seen. They met when they were both still children. Every year, Kíli would return to the coast to play. But one year, he stopped coming. To this day, Fíli still returns to the shore once every year. This year he finds a man sitting on Kíli’s rock, going through Kíli’s treasures.
Relationships: Fíli/Kíli (Tolkien)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 59
Collections: GatheringFiki - Durin's Day 2020





	The shallows

**Author's Note:**

  * For [girlmarvel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlmarvel/gifts).



> Happy Durin’s Day!  
> I wrote this story for DamnitFili for the Durin’s Day gift exchange. I was inspired by [this](https://damnitfili.tumblr.com/post/118126080753/fiki-mermaid-au-the-only-thing-fili-planned-to) beautiful photoset created by DamnitFili and I wrote this story to go along with it.  
> It is my first AU fic and I hope you enjoy it!  
> @DamnitFili: I am so happy we got matched this year! I hope I did your photoset justice with this story.

It was not forbidden to break surface this close to the shore.

Discouraged, yes, but not forbidden.

He had stopped telling his uncle about his trips to the shore years ago, when he was old enough to start exploring the ocean by himself. He did not like to see the looks of disapproval from his family and friends. The looks of pity were possibly even worse.

“He won’t come back.” Dwalin, his uncle’s closest friend, had said. His words had stung.

Fíli knew he would not see the Human again. It had been years since he had last seen the boy. They had both been children.

More than a decade had passed since then, but Fíli vividly remembered the day he had met the Human.

\--

Fíli’s curiosity had led him close to the shore. Closer than he had ever been in all his eight years. He had left uncle Thorin to chat with some acquaintances.

“I’m going ahead.” Fíli had announced.

“Don’t go too far.” Thorin had warned. His smile had been fond when Fíli had rolled his eyes.

That had been a while ago. Fíli’s muscles ached from the long swim and he longed to rest for a little while. His tail was still too small for these long trips and he would probably need to ask uncle to guide him back home again.

He broke surface close to the shore, but away from the beach. The weather was beautiful and there were bound to be Humans around. He found an alcove, hidden from view, a little further ahead. The water in the alcove was shallow, a few large rocks sticking out. He decided to lay down. The water was shallow enough that he could lay on his back on the sand with his face above the water. The sun felt warm on his skin and scales and it make him drowsy. He closed his eyes.

He woke up when he felt something poke his tail. It turned out to be a stick. A stick held by a Human boy with dark messy hair and equally dark eyes. The boy looked worried and vaguely threatening with his pointy stick. Fíli remembered his uncle’s warning and decided he should leave before something bad would happen.

Like being skewered.

Fíli turned and intended to swim back the way he came, but the boy grabbed his hand. The Human’s skin was warm, much warmer than Fíli’s, even after laying in the sun for a long time. The boy started talking. Fíli had never heard those kinds of sounds before. It sounded strange, but not unpleasant.

Fíli gestured to his ears and tried to convey his lack of understanding. The boy seemed to understand because he suddenly started to gesture enthusiastically and exaggerated the words he spoke. 

He looked at him. The boy smiled. Fíli smiled back.

His uncle found him much later, when the sun had moved closer to the horizon and the sky was streaked with many colors. Fíli was still in the alcove, close to the shore. The boy was still with him, perched on a rock close to him. They had been communicating with gestures and sounds and Fíli was still not sure what the boy’s name was or what he was trying to communicate most of the time. But they had a good time finding shells and other treasures. Their collection was displayed on the flat surface of a nearby rock, sorted by color.

“Fíli.”

Fíli turned, still smiling, but his uncle’s frown changed that.

“I’ve been looking for you.” Thorin accused.

“I was here.” Fíli replied.

The boy was looking at them, the look of worry back on his face.

“It’s time to go home.” Thorin stated.

Fíli frowned but moved to swim towards him.

He felt the boy’s fingers enclose around his arm. So warm. The boy said something, his voice pitched high. Fíli did not understand.

“He’s asking if you can play again tomorrow.” His uncle translated.

“You understand his language?” Fíli grew excited. That meant he could learn it as well.

“I know the basics.” Thorin confirmed. “You want to see him again?”

Fíli looked at the boy and nodded. The boy’s smile was dazzling.

“See you tomorrow.” Fíli said. His uncle conveyed his message and Fíli paid close attention. The language sounded even stranger coming from his uncle’s mouth.

The boy let go of his arm and waved. Fíli only stopped waving when they dove down.

“Can you teach me?” Fíli asked his uncle when they were halfway to their home.

“Their language?”

“Yes.”

Thorin frowned and produced a word. The water warped the word, but Fíli repeated it back to him.

Thorin approved. “That means ‘friend’.” He said.

\--

“Friend.”

It was the first word out of Fíli’s mouth when he surfaced close to the boy the next day.

The boy laughed. “Friend.” He repeated.

They continued their search for seashells and Fíli learned the words for ‘shell’, ‘sky’ and ‘water’. The boy smiled every time and it made Fíli eager to know more.

Thorin had accompanied him, but got impatient before they had completed their collection of blue shells.

“Fíli.” His uncle called him. “Don’t stray too far. Don’t let others spot you. I’ll stay close.” His uncle instructed before diving below the surface.

Fíli waved him off.

“Fíli.” The boy said, imitating the way Thorin had said Fíli’s name. 

“Yes.” Fíli confirmed, pointing to himself.

“Kíli.” The boy said as he tapped his chest.

Fíli laughed, unsure if the boy’s name was really Kíli or if he was joking.

He assumed it was, because Kíli responded to the name each time Fíli used it.

When they had completed their collection of shells, and Fíli had learned so many words that he could not possibly learn more that day, they sat down with their backs against one of the rocks.

Kíli had taken off the weird contraptions that had enclosed his feet.

“Toes.” Kíli explained, teaching Fíli yet another word while he was studying Kíli’s feet. He lightly touched the bottom of Kíli’s right foot and was delighted to see Kíli giggle.

It was Kíli’s turn then. He lightly touched Fíli’s golden tail. Fíli could not imagine how his tail would feel to a Human, although he supposed it must be quite cold for Kíli. The Human skin was so much warmer than Fíli’s.

Kíli touched the end of Fíli’s tail just as uncle Thorin surfaced again.

His uncle looked extremely angry, nostrils flashing and eyes darkening. He yelled something at Kíli in the Human language, but it was too fast for Fíli to understand.

“What’s wrong?” Fíli questioned. Kíli seemed very frightened.

“We’re leaving.” Thorin announced.

“Tomorrow?” Kíli questioned as Thorin dragged Fíli away.

Fíli’s “yes” was drowned out by Thorin’s “no!”.

\--

It took Fíli hours to find out why his uncle had gotten so mad. In the end, it was Dwalin who explained it to him.

“It’s very special to let somebody touch your tailfin. You need to trust them completely. It’s only for somebody special.”

“But Kíli is special.” Fíli argued. Dwalin shook his head.

“You’ve only met him yesterday. You’re just a child. Don’t let him touch it again.”

Fíli was allowed to go the surface only after agreeing not to let Kíli touch his tailfin again.

Dwalin was his chaperone the next day and he took one look at Kíli before disappearing with a “see you in a while, don’t get in trouble.”

Naturally, Fíli allowed Kíli to touch his tailfin.

\--

For the next two weeks, Fíli was accompanied to the shore every single day by either Thorin or Dwalin. Balin had gone with them one time, but it had turned into an impromptu language lesson that lasted until sunset. It was nice to learn more of the language, but he preferred playing.

When at home it was another story altogether. He begged Balin and Thorin for more lessons and spent all his time learning more so he could have better conversations with Kíli. It was because of these lessons that Fíli understood Kíli at the end of those two weeks.

“I’m going home tomorrow.”

“Home?”

“It’s far away, very far from the sea.”

Fíli remained silent.

“I asked my parents. We will be back for our summer vacation next year. They promised me.”

It seemed to be some kind of migration. Some fish showed this behaviour as well, but Fíli did not understand why Kíli would do this.

“I have something for you.” Kíli held up a bag. It was quite large and could hold a lot of treasures.

“This way you can keep all the shells in one place.”

They spent the final moments before Kíli’s departure filling the bag with their most beautiful finds of their time together. Together they hid the bag behind some rocks at the edge of the alcove.

“We’ll find more treasures next year.” Kíli promised.

“Yes.” Fíli agreed.

His uncle held him close as they waved at Kíli for a final time.

\--

Fíli spend the next year learning Kíli’s language and finding a proper welcoming gift. He had found a large pearl, the largest he had ever seen, and kept it for Kíli. When the days became longer, and the sun shone brighter, Fíli returned to the alcove. Kíli was not there for the first few days, but on the eighth day, when the sun was highest, the boy returned.

“Fíli.” He could not stop smiling.

“I missed you.” Fíli confessed. He immediately presented the pearl. Kíli’s eyes grew huge when he saw it.

“Amazing.” He whispered. He took it from Fíli. Their hands touched. So warm.

“I brought you something too.” Kíli produced a small object from his clothes. It was a carving of wood. A fish.

“Thank you.”

“Let’s put them in the treasure bag.” Kíli suggested.

Fíli knew it was still there, hidden behind the rocks. He had checked it himself.

\--

Their bag of treasures grew every year.

Every year, Kíli would be return, although Fíli never knew exactly when.

When the summer started, and the breeze became warmer, Fíli would come up to the shore every day. Until he would finally spot Kíli. They would spend the next two weeks together. Playing, talking. Kíli would softly stroke his tail while telling all kinds of stories. It made Fíli feel safe, warm, happy.

Kíli also brought books from his school – books to read. He even brought one that Fíli could take with him under water. It was made from something that did not wither when wet. It was Fíli’s dearest possession.

\--

Eventually, Fíli was old enough to be allowed to go to the shallows by himself. He no longer needed a chaperone to the shore. He had grown, his tail was strong.

It was the first year Kíli did not show up.

Fíli went to the surface every day for the entire season. When the winter started, he gave up. He placed Kíli’s gift into their treasure bag – it was a colorful pebble this time, shining with blues and greens and yellows – and returned it to its usual spot behind the rocks. Kíli might return during winter and find his gift.

The year after, he waited for Kíli again. Nobody showed up.

Each year, Fíli would go to the shallows, to their alcove. And each year he would put his present for Kíli in the bag, hidden behind the rocks. The bag got fuller every year, but Kíli never showed up, never returned to take his present, never left a present of his own.

\--

Summer had started later than usual this year.

Fíli’s annual trip to the alcove was therefore a little later than normal. He had thought about skipping it this year. He had heard all the arguments: you’re an adult now, you haven’t seen him in a decade, he won’t show up, it is time to forget him. He ignored all of them.

He knew Kíli would not show up.

He had not expected him to show up for years. But it was nostalgic to make the trip to the alcove. He would check if their bag was still there. He would sit next to their rock, bask in the sunlight and return home before sunset.

He still brought a treasure for their bag every year. This year, he had found a large pearl, so similar to the first present he had given Kíli.

He sensed something was off the moment before he broke the surface. He swam away from the alcove and surfaced further away to see what was going on.

There was a man. A man with dark hair, perched on _Kíli’s_ rock, looking through _Kíli’s_ bag. Fíli grit his teeth. The man was not allowed to touch it. Fíli swam towards the alcove, just below the surface of the water, and made a huge splash with his tail.

The man fell off the rock, into the shallow water. Satisfaction tilted Fíli’s mouth into a smirk. That should scare him off.

The man looked around wildly, peering at the water surrounding the alcove. Fíli hid until the man had stopped looking. 

But the Human did not leave. In fact, he seemed to be setting himself down for a long day. He had brought food and drink and a book to read. Fíli cursed. The man looked up from his book. His eyes widened as their eyes locked.

Fíli dove under the water and did not surface again.

\--

Fíli had contemplated not to return the next day. But he still had Kíli’s new pearl. And he needed to check if Kíli’s bag was still there.

Fíli’s hands shook as he swam upward, towards the alcove. That man had better not taken all Kíli’s gifts. He surfaced further from the alcove than he normally would. He did not want the man to spot him again.

The alcove was empty.

He sighed in relief and swam towards the rocks behind which Kíli’s bag was hidden. It was there, seemingly intact. He emptied it into a rock to check the contents. Everything was accounted for, nothing was missing.

In fact, something had been added to their collection.

A small wooden carving of a seagull. It was delicate, almost fragile, and Fíli wondered why the man would have left something in the bag but not taken anything. That was how it worked, right?

He held the small seagull, inspecting it from all sides. It was well made, stained white with some kind of substance. It was beautiful.

Suddenly, there were footsteps, splashes in the water. Fíli looked up. It was the man from yesterday. His hair was dark, tangled. His eyes were darker. He looked worried.

“I thought I had imagined it.” The man whispered to himself, loud enough for Fíli to hear.

Fíli did not respond, but did not move away when the man walked towards him. No sudden movements. Uncle Thorin had instructed him well. Adult Humans could be dangerous.

“Don’t you remember me?” the man said. He was more beautiful up close.

Fíli pretended not to know his language. But then –

“Fíli.”

He had only ever given his name to one Human. A Human who had never returned to him.

“Kíli?”

The man nodded, coming to a standstill in front of Fíli.

Kíli stared at him and Fíli was grateful for the opportunity to study the man.

He had grown tall, so very tall. His legs were longer, his eyebrows were darker. But his eyes were still the same. And his hair still as tangled.

Kíli sat down on a rock near Fíli’s tail. Worried again.

“Do you like it?” Kíli asked.

Fíli looked down at the seagull.

“Yes.” He did not – could not – elaborate.

“You’ve been busy.” Kíli continued as he gestured to all the treasures on display.

‘They’re for you.’ Fíli wanted to say, but that was not strictly true. They were for Kíli, the small boy, his friend. Not for this man, whom he did not know and who had not returned to him for years.

“Why now? Why are you here?” Fíli questioned instead.

Kíli sighed. 

“I’m sorry.” Kíli started. “I did not mean to stay away. You have no idea how much I pleaded and cried to return here. But we moved away, even further from the sea. We went on holiday somewhere else.”

Fíli was silent.

“When I was old enough to travel alone I..” Kíli paused for a long moment.

“You what?” Fíli prompted.

“I thought I had imagined it all.” Kíli confessed.

“Imagined me?”

“Yes.” Kíli whispered.

Fíli felt his heart clench and his eyes burn.

He heard Kíli’s shouted “Wait!” before Fíli had completed his dive into the water.

He swam home, ignored the strange looks and questions. He would not return tomorrow. He should forget about Kíli, pretend he did not exist. Just as Kíli had done.

\--

Kíli was up to his knees in the water when Fíli returned the next day. He was shouting Fíli’s name, bare feet sinking deep into the sand below the surface.

Fíli smirked as he grasped Kíli’s ankle and pulled as hard as he could.

Kíli went down with a shout and flailing limbs. Fíli watched when he resurfaced, soaked head to toe. His wet hair hung in front of his eyes. Fíli snorted.

Kíli wiped his hair to the side and looked at Fíli.

“I deserved that.” Kíli stated. His smile brightened his eyes.

“Yes.” Fíli agreed.

\--

If any of his friends and family noticed Fíli had resumed his daily trips to the shore, nobody mentioned it.

It took a few days for Fíli to reconcile the boy from his memories with the man Kíli had become. But when Fíli noticed the similarities between the two, it was easy. Kíli had kept his vibrant smiles, his positive attitude and his preference for sticking his bare feet in the water.

What had changed was the scruff on his face, the deep timbre of his voice, the intense way he would sometimes look at Fíli while he was talking.

It was an evening, about a week after Kíli had returned to him, that Kíli remembered his old habit. 

He started a slow stroke down Fíli tail, as he had always done when they sat down like this. Like he had never left.

Fíli blushed. He now understood why his uncle had forbidden it all those year ago. It was.. intimate. Meant for lovers and spouses. He looked at Kíli, but he seemed to have no awareness of the significance of his strokes.

Kíli’s hands moved lower and lower as the evening progressed. Fíli had relaxed into the movement, just like he always had. He felt calm, warm, trusted. Happy.

Until Kíli reached the very end of his tail. The tailfin. The most delicate part of his tail. It was then that Fíli finally understood why everybody made such a big deal about letting somebody touch your tail.

It sparked something along his spine and the sound he made was completely involuntary.

Kíli looked at him and spotted Fíli’s blush in the moonlight.

“Feels nice?” Kíli asked, still stroking.

Fíli’s sigh of approval ended in a soft moan.

“Oh, so it’s like that.” Kíli whispered. He had a look of realization on his face, which slowly morphed into a smirk.

Fíli’s stomach clenched.

“Can I kiss you?” Kíli asked. Fíli knew what kissing meant.

Their lips touched. It was soft. Hesitant.

Kíli’s lips were so warm. He kept stroking Fíli’s tail.

Fíli was home.

\--

Kíli’s new home was close to their alcove.

They met up nearly every day.

Thorin kind-of disapproved. Dwalin kind-of approved.

The bag of treasures was still behind the rocks in their alcove.

Once every year they would add something to it to celebrate the day they had met each other.

Kíli stayed.

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoyed it? Find me on tumblr: alwaysfarawayeyes.tumblr.com


End file.
